With the new year in full swing, we’ve already been out meeting with and talking to elected leaders, policymakers and other influential groups about the importance of America’s no-cost sugar policy.
In January, the American Sugar Alliance attended the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) annual convention in Atlanta, alongside several of our sugarbeet farmers. AFBF is the largest farm advocacy group in the country, and at the end of the conference, delegates voted to renew their support for a strong U.S. sugar policy that creates a level playing field for sugar producers while ensuring a safe, reliable and affordable supply of sugar for consumers.
Hundreds of people attended this year’s conference, and our sugarbeet farmers answered dozens of questions, ranging from, “What’s the difference in beet and cane sugar?” to “What policies are most helpful to our sugar producers?”
The number of frank and open conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing our sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers was a stark reminder that there is always education and outreach that needs to be done with decision-makers at the local, state and federal levels. That’s why, this month, we are hosting sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers from across the country as they meet with lawmakers via Zoom.
During these Capitol Hill “fly-in” meetings, as they are called, our farmers will meet with lawmakers, share stories and materials, and give them a firsthand account of the challenges that have faced family farms during the past year. Despite the fact that harvest for both beet and cane farmers was mostly positive, there were significant challenges with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather challenges, ranging from drought to hurricanes, that affected sugar production.
Our messages need to be shared and repeated, so that elected leaders and policymakers know just how significant our industry is.
Unpredictable weather is not the only challenge facing the sugar industry. The distorted nature of the global sugar market as currently it stands will never allow for fair competition.
Farmers will tell lawmakers and their staff about how sugar is one of the world’s most distorted commodity markets. There are more than 100 countries producing sugar, and most of the world’s largest producers subsidize in some manner, whether through domestic price supports, export subsidies, or some combination thereof.
America’s no-cost sugar policy makes it possible for our farmers and processors to survive in such a challenging global market. And American sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers are essential to ensuring food manufacturers and American households have access to an affordable and reliable supply of high-quality sugar, all produced sustainably while meeting some of the world’s highest safety, labor and environmental standards. If you took U.S. sugar producers out of the supply chain, consumers would have to rely on uncertain imports of heavily subsidized foreign sugar.
American sugar policy helps foster a robust domestic sugar industry, which supports 142,000 well-paying jobs in both rural and urban markets, and generates $20 billion in economic activity a year. At the same time, it provides preferential access to substantial amounts of sugar imports to fulfill our trade commitments, making the U.S. the third-largest sugar-importing country in the world.
Having the security of our sugar policy also empowers sugar producers to make significant investments in sustainability and efficiency. Sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers are using techniques that reduce water consumption and input use, improve energy conservation, and increase yields.
All these messages need to be shared and repeated, so that elected leaders and policymakers know just how significant our industry is and just how important a strong U.S. sugar policy is to our survival. The Farm Bill is set to be reconsidered in 2023, and it is never too early to ensure accurate, on-the-ground information is available to support U.S. sugar producers and sugar policy.
If there’s ever anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at ASA, whether it’s through email, a phone call or even out at an event like the Farm Bureau conference. We’re coming to many more events and conferences in 2022, including the Commodity Classic in New Orleans in March. We’d be happy to talk to you about sugar’s sweet story.